Chapter 1 - New World + Job!

My name is Ding Liwei, an aspiring actor who unfortunately died of lung cancer. When I woke up, I found myself in possibly the worst isekai situation imaginable. Terra, a land ridden with psychopaths, eldritch beings and worst of all, rock cancer! 

As if dying of lung cancer wasn't enough, I also had to deal with this! Is my gacha luck really that bad?!

Luckily, I was born in the city of Lungmen, an economic hub that paralleled Hong Kong in my past. Retaining my name, I was reborn as an orphan Liberi with normal brown hair and eyes. I didn't have the luxury to sit around and question why I was reincarnated into arknights in my early days, with the orphanage in the slums barely able to provide a single meal per day for the children. 

Luckily, I didn't have oripathy. However, I had to hunt for my own food through theft since the bread and occasional cold soup from the orphanage guaranteed a malnourished body, which essentially guaranteed death in this world. 

Without a system, I managed to adapt surprisingly well in the slums thanks to my adult knowledge. Now, what would be the best way to live a comfortable life in this world? Become a Rhodes Island logistics operator. 

Rhodes Island can give me the protection I need since the top eldritch spawns live there, and being in logistics meant that I could avoid the troublesome situations that the Dokutah finds himself in. 

Now, why would Rhodes Island hire me? Well, there's this very cool thing called an LGD liaison officer, which isn't that tough to pull off. Thus, with all my savings from my rampant larceny, I enrolled into the LGD academy at 15 years old!

Now with three years passed, on the day of my birthday, I managed to graduate with pretty decent marks. Now, I just had to work up the corporate ladder of the LGD-

[Ding! Template System Activating…]

[81%...89%...98%...99%...100%]

[Please pull for your first template]

During the midst of the graduation ceremony, a blue holographic screen appeared before me. It was something I had lost hope for years ago, yet it has re-emerged now of all times. 

[Automatically rolling… congratulations, you've unlocked: Jing Liu!]

[Jing Liu's Progress: 0%]

[Progression increases as you act more like the character. The next template will be unlocked at 75% progress]

[Goodluck host!]

Wait, wait, wait. System, are you sentient? Can I ask you questions?!

Hello?

.

.

.

A template system… One that required me to transform and act out as a specific character to gain their skills. Who would've thought my experience from acting school would come in useful now of all times?

One could argue that using this would contradict my desires for a peaceful life. However, I'm a paradoxical idiot by nature. Who wouldn't want to live out some chunni dream? With no attachments to this world, there was nothing better to do. 

Right… I had nothing except my goal for survival. Why did I even care about that? Wait, no. My thoughts feel jumbled, almost forced. 

Eh, whatever. It's probably nothing. 

First off the bucket list, I should probably get a job as Ding Liwei. The one thing scarier than Ch'en would probably be the Lungmen Tax Office and the monthly rent collector. The academy covered 90% of the fees, however, the prices were still ridiculously high. Lungmen had a real estate crisis. 

"Oh, Liwei! There you are, I've been looking for you," a voice called out from behind me as I was about to leave the gates of the academy.

"Beatrix?" I turned around to find a familiar face. It was one of the few people I interacted with in the academy, being extremely studious. However, what I liked most was the random pocket money she would give me. 

Now that I looked closer at her, she seems like someone from the game. Was she an operator? My memory was joggy after nearly two decades, so I didn't know. 

"Why are you staring so much? Do you need more money?" Beatrix asked, pulling out a red packet. 

"Well, I was just admiring your beauty. I wouldn't mind the money also," I smiled. Of course I needed money. 

"Hmph, you've quite a silver tongue. Here, this is a congratulatory gift." With the most grateful smile imaginable, I opened my arm to the free cash. Without Beatrix, I would've died by now. 

According to rumours, Beatrix is a mega rich conglomerate's daughter. After a few incidents, I managed to befriend her in the academy since we were both loners. Who knew that she would become my guardian angel?

Of course, it would be immoral to exploit money from her. She was still one of my only friends in the world after all, but I doubt I made a dent in her wallet. 

"Are you going to enter the LGD?" Beatrix asked

"Yup, I've got nowhere else to go," I replied. In addition to the opportunity for a liaison position, the LGD had barracks that officers could choose to sleep in if they did overnight shifts. 

"Then join me! As the new Senior Inspector of the LGD, I need a like-minded assistant." 

"Sure- wait, what?"